Chapter 108, Twentieth Round (27)

Scotland had barely slept these past few days, and now that she felt at ease, she was so exhausted that she quickly fell asleep next to Bourbon.

"Damn it, they actually went all out..."

Bourbon rubbed his cheek and pouted, but inwardly he was all smiles.

As expected, Hiro is still incredibly calm and capable. No wonder Matsuda finds him a bit scary and jokingly calls him "Master Jing." Even in that situation, he would pull a hard line to see if it was really him.

However, the fact that Scotland took four people with him before he died surprised him as well. He originally thought that killing Cohen and Chianti would be enough to "avenge" them, but he didn't expect that Ireland and Vodka would also be taken away, leaving only Gin "alive".

In a game like this, getting a four-man kill in one go is truly amazing.

Even though he was later discovered and thrown out, and even though he appeared too dejected after Bourbon's death, which prevented others from immediately suspecting him, it was enough to prove how terrible Scotland was.

When it was finally discovered that he had completely stopped acting, the expression on his face, which showed him as completely enraged to the point of ferocity and madness, was truly terrifying. He was stunned even when he was behind the monitor.

However, it was a little funny when Scotland ended up staying out all night without sleeping, and Gin was sitting at the door of the room fully armed and on high alert.

Haha, serves you right, Gin, you've finally met your match.

And vodka.

Last night, after Vodka was thrown out, he became emotional and started yelling at him as soon as he saw him.

Vodka: "So Bourbon, you're still alive!!!"

Vodka: "I knew the organization wouldn't suspect we were undercover agents. It was just a test by Boss Rum. Damn, it really scared me to death! Scotland is really terrifying, you know?!"

Bourbon: "I saw it all on the security camera, but there's nothing I can do about it. He was so heartbroken and angry that he did something like that. He's not usually like this."

Vodka: "I know, I know, but he might be too... I didn't know I would actually throw you out and that you would really be in trouble, Bourbon. Believe me, I never thought that Boss Rum would actually do something to you. I was just following my brother's lead. I even went to apologize to Scotland afterward, but he ignored me."

Vodka: "Now I know, he was actually plotting to kill me! How terrifying, Scotland!!!"

Bourbon: "This time it really startled me a little, I didn't expect him to..."

“But he really loves you so much!!!” Vodka exclaimed.

Bourbon: "..."

Bourbon paused for a moment, choosing not to continue talking to this guy who was essentially a homebody whose house was covered with idol merchandise and who would cry at night because he missed his hometown.

But Vodka didn't let him off the hook. After confirming that Bourbon hadn't broken off their relationship because of the previous vote, he resumed their previous interactions and followed him around gossipingly, asking, "So, are you two really in that kind of relationship?"

Bourbon was speechless: "No, we really are just ordinary friends."

Vodka's left cheek says disbelief, his right cheek says lying, and his forehead is marked with the word "scumbag."

Finally, he muttered under his breath, "Even if you think it's just a friendship, Scotland clearly doesn't see it that way..."

They are well-informed and don't discriminate against this kind of relationship. After all, both Scotland and Bourbon are good-looking and powerful, and they often act together, so it's normal for them to get together.

Moreover, it's perfectly normal for both men and women to fall for Bourbon, especially when Bourbon intentionally guides them.

What's a little surprising is that Bourbon clearly had no interest in Scotland and was just using them, yet Scotland was so persistent and had such great strength. Will Bourbon end up backfiring in the end?

Vodka didn't say anything, but his sunglasses were temporarily ruined and there were no new ones available, so his expression was all too easy to understand.

Bourbon had expected him to say something after Scotland was voted out today, but it seems Vodka is genuinely afraid of Scotland and has no intention of coming over to speak.

Needless to say, the others are even worse.

Bourbon sighed and looked down at Scotland, who was curled up asleep on the sofa next to him.

The blond youth slowly reached out and used his fingers to smooth the messy black hair that was sticking up on the head that was resting on his lap, making it smooth again. Finally, he touched the even prickly stubble on the head's chin.

"Now look what's happened. Your previously good reputation and popularity in the organization are ruined. From now on, you'll be stuck with this madman like me forever."

Rum behind the monitor: "..."

Isn't Bourbon's smile and words a bit perverted and terrifying upon closer inspection?

I don't really understand the romantic relationships of young people like you these days.

With a complicated expression, Rum switched the surveillance camera back upstairs to continue observing the remaining people.

*

Scotland woke up at 3 a.m., having only slept for a little over two hours.

Bourbon shifted his gaze from the monitor screen where Kiel was putting down his game console and preparing to go to sleep, and looked down to meet the gaze of those blue eyes that were staring straight at him.

"What's wrong? Did you have a nightmare?" He reached out and touched the other person's face.

“Hmm.” Scotland grabbed his hand and sat up from the sofa. “I dreamt of a blood-soaked press and a strand of golden hair beneath it.”

“…” Bourbon said helplessly, “That’s all fake.”

"But it has left me with a deep psychological scar," Scotland said quietly.

"I'm sorry," Bourbon said with an awkward laugh. "I promise there won't be a next time. Everything's fine now, isn't it? You have to believe me, I won't die so easily. If I die, it means it's definitely not true."

“…Alright, aren’t you going to sleep? There’s nothing interesting to see at this time, right? Let’s get some rest and come back to observe tomorrow during the day.” Scotland glanced at the time, then looked around, frowned, stood up, and pulled Bourbon to go to sleep.

Takahiko Ito, who was originally staying here to watch the surveillance footage, has left, leaving only Bourbon diligently collecting information.

It's also possible that he fell asleep on the sofa next to him, and Bourbon didn't want to wake him, so he stayed there.

Bourbon nodded: "Okay, by the way, we can only move around on the fourth basement level, but there are plenty of rooms, just pick one..."

“I’ll just share a room with you,” Scotland interrupted him.

Bourbon: "..."

Bourbon: "Okay."

Sleeping with your childhood friend who has nightmares at night is something you've always done and it's perfectly normal.

However, this applies to Furuya Rei and Morofushi Kagemitsu.

And the misunderstandings and rumors surrounding Bourbon and Scotland will only become more bizarre as a result.

Oh well, it's not a big problem.

*

What happened next did not exceed Bourbon's expectations.

At midnight on November 1st, Kiel "died".

At midnight on November 2nd, Lei "died".

At midnight on November 3, Gin "died".

Vermouth "died" at midnight on November 4th.

When the last Vermouth emerged from the holographic chair, the others had already gone upstairs and were sitting in the original lobby waiting for her, and they had even returned her cell phone.

Vermouth looked around and raised an eyebrow: "So, only Calvados is really dead?"

“I never expected him to commit suicide so immediately,” Rum said. “It seems Calvados was the undercover agent.”

Vermouth smirked and sat back down in her seat, clearly annoyed. "So that's why you left me to observe last? Afraid he'd turn me against the organization? Isn't that underestimating me? Putting aside my relationship with him, do you think I'm the kind of person who would betray the organization over trivial emotional issues?"

“After all, human emotions are the most unpredictable thing,” Rum said meaningfully. “Humans could become anything because of them.”

Almost everyone instinctively looked at Scotland, who was sitting next to Bourbon.

The black-haired young man with beautiful blue cat eyes blinked innocently, scratched his cheek shyly, and smiled. He had a gentle demeanor and was not aggressive at all.

But no one really thinks he's a gentle and easy-going person anymore.

This is beyond just being black when cut open.

Chianti let out a loud "tsk," and even now her face is still full of resentment and anger.

At 1:30 a.m. on November 5th, everyone was released from that damned castle.

So many days have passed, the snow had long since stopped, and it even melted completely yesterday because of the bright sunshine.

The air was still cold late at night, and the 11 survivors were not in the mood to talk, so they dispersed and left.

After all, even if it wasn't someone like Takahiko Ito who was highly suspected and tortured to the point of death in a virtual world where he felt completely alive, everyone else was still frightened to varying degrees and experienced what it felt like to dance on the edge of death.

Ireland's face turned incredibly sour. He had initially been quite interested in the Whisky Trio, who were also members of the Whisky group, but now he wished he never had to see them again.

He despised those who liked to act and scheme, and the fact that they had such complicated emotional entanglements really puzzled and shocked Ireland.

To be honest, based on what he'd only heard rumors about, he always thought that Bourbon's closest friend was Ray, since Bourbon was famous for taking everyone from Ray's side.

Even in Scotland, wasn't Bourbon's initial approach to him also aimed at dealing with Rye?

So what's going on here?

What kind of bizarre love triangle is this?!

Ireland rubbed his arms and left without looking back.

Rye glanced at Scotland, who was sticking close to Bourbon, and knew that they wouldn't return to the three-person safe house without him asking. So he drove back to his own safe house, smoking a cigarette, and quietly reviewed the whole process before cautiously contacting the FBI.

This was really dangerous. If he hadn't taken a gamble and decided it was a virtual execution, he would have been exposed as an undercover agent and tried to escape by force.

Although the collar around his neck would likely prevent his escape from succeeding, he wasn't one to sit idly by and wait to die; he was determined to try.

Fortunately, I won the bet.

*

November 5th, cloudy.

8 PM.

Ethan Hondo waited for Kir, or rather his daughter, Hondo Hidemi, in one of the abandoned warehouses near Yokohama Port.

They had just encountered the worst crisis to date, and three CIA agents almost lost their lives.

However, while the organization's advanced technology was impressive, it was not perfect. Ethan Hondou noticed something was wrong during his interrogation and long torture, and immediately changed his plans.

Fortunately, his hint was accurately received by Hondo Eikai, and the two were able to escape safely.

Bonnie is really gone...

"You weren't being followed, were you?" Ethan Hondou asked first to confirm.

"Well, it's time for the TV recording right now. I told them I wasn't feeling well and wanted to find a place to sleep for an hour, so I sneaked out in the middle of it."

Hondo Eikai was certain.

"This place is also very close to the TV station, and it's the organization's next trading location. I heard that you would be coming to check it out beforehand, so I thought this was a good opportunity."

They ultimately felt that what had happened in that castle was too dangerous, especially since it was Ito Takahiko, who hadn't been given a codename and had previously been highly suspected.

It would be best to let Takahiko Ito die unexpectedly and leave the organization, leaving Kir to continue his undercover work.

"Have you changed your clothes?" Ethan Bendou suddenly asked.

“It’s been changed.” Hondo Eikai nodded seriously. “Don’t worry, I checked my body thoroughly before coming here and found no listening devices or tracking devices. I didn’t even bring my cell phone.”

“Very well, then let’s discuss the next steps in detail…” Ethan Bendou suddenly turned his head, instantly drew his gun, pointed it at a container, and shouted sternly, “Who’s there?! Come out, or I’ll shoot!”

“Don’t shoot, you’re on our side. I know you’re Ethan Hondou and Hondou Eikai from the CIA, and I also know about Hondou Eisuke.” A man’s voice came from behind the container. “Time is of the essence. Rum has discovered your operation, and Gin’s car is almost here. But he should check the warehouse you were originally assigned to first, and then search for you in these warehouses one by one, so there’s still some time.”

Ethan Hondo and Hondo Eikai were both taken aback.

"Who exactly are you? If you're one of us, don't hide your identity," Ethan Bentang said. "Since you already know so much, of course I trust you and won't shoot you, but what exactly do you want?"

The man behind the container stepped out, adjusted his glasses, and took out a police badge, saying, "I am Kazami Yuya, a police officer from the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department's Public Security Bureau."

"Public security?" Hondo Eikai was even more shocked and puzzled.

“If you’ve heard of Sakura’s name, you’ll probably understand why. Sakura simply doesn’t want to see an undercover agent, a sympathizer of justice, die,” Kazami Yuya said. “But are you sure you want to dwell on these things at such a crucial time?”

He stretched out his hand, holding two blood-like packets.

“There’s no time left. There’s only one way now, and that is to fake your death,” he said. “The Public Security Bureau will protect you, but Kiel, who was promoted in the organization for killing you, the undercover agent, will also have to provide us with some intelligence and assistance from the organization. If the Public Security Bureau and the CIA have a conflict, you can also choose the CIA first. These are our conditions.”

“So it’s cherry blossoms…” Ethan Hondou relaxed a little, but only a little, and mostly because the police didn’t rescue them unconditionally, which eased his worries a bit.

“Dad…” Hondo Emi looked at him with an inquiring gaze.

"Shh." Ethan Hondou suddenly raised his index finger.

He heard a noise.

“It’s Gin’s black Porsche.” Ethan Hondou frowned and lowered his voice. “He really came. So fast. It seems we have indeed been under their surveillance. Your strange behavior immediately aroused their suspicion.”

“It’s a trap,” he affirmed. “We are indeed the most suspicious people. They released us just to temporarily relax our guard and make us think that the organization is really sure that Calvados is an undercover agent, so that we will lower our guard and expose our flaws.”

Hondou Eikai hadn't completely processed the large amount of information yet: "But why? How did they determine that Calvados wasn't an undercover agent? I thought the organization really believed it..."

“I don’t know, but we don’t need to think about it now,” Ethan Hondou said, suddenly punching Hondou Hidemi.

Hondo Eikai groaned and staggered onto the container behind him, feeling as if he had broken several ribs.

"Dad... what are you going to do?"

Ethan Bentang took out a gun fitted with a silencer, pointed it at his daughter, and pulled the trigger.

"Hold on, Yinghai, this is the only way to save you now."

*

Hound C1 has been safely brought back with a wrist injury and has agreed to cooperate with us.

Hound C2 returned to the forest unharmed, presumably having gained the wolf king's trust.

Rei Furuya deleted the email.

He took a deep breath, his heart pounding.

Was it successful?

If Ethan Bendo is successfully rescued, then it means that Hiro can also be rescued?

Since Ethan Hondou was able to successfully survive in the current timeline by faking his death, then even if Hiro's identity is exposed, he can survive in the same way, right?

After all, they should be undercover agents of roughly the same importance and role in the plot, and the convergence range of their timelines should also be similar, but we cannot rule out the possibility of the system causing trouble.

Rei Furuya leaned back in his chair and began to stare blankly at the back of his childhood friend who was busy in the kitchen.

He couldn't help but think about his past life.

Within an organization, catching and killing undercover agents is actually the fastest way to get promoted.

There are reasons why the organization sets these rules in this way.

Firstly, someone who can capture and kill a skilled undercover agent is naturally also very capable.

Secondly, it can exacerbate conflicts between undercover agents from different organizations or even the same organization, causing them to fight each other and climb over each other's corpses, making them wary and suspicious of one another, thus making cooperation between undercover agents virtually impossible.

It turns out that Kir in the original timeline used this opportunity to directly leap from an ordinary member to a codenamed member and was appreciated and valued by the organization's boss and Gin.

Similarly.

The killing of the Scottish spy, Rye, was also a merit that allowed him to quickly gain trust, appreciation, and promotion within the organization.

Rei Furuya shook his head vigorously to temporarily suppress the dark memories of the previous world and began to seriously consider what to do next.

So, next up is Matsuda's side.

This is a bit of a problem. After what just happened, the organization might still be monitoring them.

Even without surveillance, they will be closely watched for a short period of time.

If he and Hiro were to join Matsuda and his group in such a large-scale explosion, they might accidentally expose their identities.

But Matsuda's situation this time is so dangerous, not only is it a life-or-death ordeal on November 7th, but November 6th is also a matter of life and death, so he can't just leave it unattended.